Drawer stop



June 22, 1965 Filed Oct. 18, 1962 H. D- SWENSEN DRAWER STOP z Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. H ARRf .DSWEN SEN June 22, 1965 H. D. SWENSEN 3.

I DRAWER STOP Filed Oct. 18, 1962 a- Sheets-Sheet 2 WWII" mmmaxx L INVENTOR HARRY D. SWENsEN Li BY $414M /fiw United States Patent 3,190,714 DRAWER STOP Harry I). Swensen, Rte. 1, West Farmington, ()hio Filed Oct. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 231,376 4 Claims. (Cl. 312-348) The present invention relates to a device for preventing the unintentional withdrawal of a drawer and the principal object of the invention is to provide new and improved devices of such character.

While drawer stops for preventing the unintentional withdrawal of a drawer are not broadly new, most prior art devices of this character have been expensive to manufacture and/or troublesome to install. In contrast, the present invention provides a simple device which can be manufactured and sold at a very low price and which can readily be installed, without tools, by the average person. These and other advantages will readily become apparent from a study of the following description and from the appended drawings.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application there is shown, for purpose of illustration, an embodiment which the invention may assume, and in these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, one of the parts thereof being shown in an alternate position in phantom lines,

FIGURE 2 is a reduced size elevational view of the device installed on a drawer,

,FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but illustrating how the device functions to prevent drawer withdrawal, and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURES 2 and 3, but illustrating the drawer removed from the structure in which it is slidable and illustrating the position of one of the device parts to provide for drawer installation or withdrawal.

In the present preferred embodiment of the invention seen in FIGURE 1, the device comprises a strip of resilient sheet metal formed to a generally U-shaped configuration to provide a clip C having legs and 11 joined by a bight portion 12. The free end of leg 10 is rolled over to provide a tubular portion 13 for a purpose to appear while leg 11 is doubled back on itself to provide spacedapart portions 14, 15, the latter being disposed closely adjacent to and generally parallel with leg 10.

Still referring to FIGURE 1, a finger 16, preferably formed of round wire, has a rectilinear portion 17 closely receivable within the tubular leg portion 13 of the clip C and a transversely extending portion 18 which is presently doubled over for additional strength. While finger portion 17 is rotatable within the tubular leg portion 13 so that the finger may be disposed in either its full line or phantom line positions, it is to be understood that the fit therebetween is somewhat tight so that the finger will be frictionally retained in either of the two positions illustrated. It is also to be understood that with the finger 16 disposed in its full line position, the finger portion 18 projects a material distance beyond the bight portion 12 of the clip for reasons to appear.

With reference to FIGURE 2 wherein the device is shown in normal use position attached to a drawer 19, it will be seen that the clip C is adapted to be sprung over the back 20 of the drawer with such drawer back resiliently gripped between the clip leg 10 and the portion of clip leg 11. Leg 10, of course, is disposed on the inside of drawer back 2% while leg 11 is disposed on the outside of the drawer back, the bight portion 12 of the clip abutting the top of the drawer back. Because of the length of the leg portions 14, 15 and their spacing from each other,

leg 11 is capable of considerable deflection. Accordingly, the clip C readilyaccommodates itself to drawer backs of widely varying thicknesses.

With the device positioned as seen in FIGURE 2, it will not interfere with normal operation of the drawer 19,

the latter being freely slidable between open and closed positions along the usual slides 21 provided by the cabinet structure 22 or the like in which the drawer is slidable. However, when the drawer is pulled out to the position seen in FIGURE 3, the upstanding finger 16 will engage behind that portion 23 of the structure 22 which overlies the drawer to positively prevent drawer withdrawal.

If drawer withdrawal is required, it is only necessary to partially open the drawer, to reach in and rotate the finger 16 from the position seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 and that seen in full lines in FIGURE 1, to the position seen in FIGURE 4 and in phantom lines in FIGURE 1. The drawer may then be withdrawn completely from the structure 22 as illustrated in FIGURE 4 and the device then removed from the drawer back if desired.

Assembly of the device with the drawer merely requires a reversal of the foregoing: With the drawer withdrawn as seen in FIGURE 4, the device clip C will be sprung over the drawer back 20 with the clip leg 10, of course, on the inside of the drawer. The positioning of finger 16 at this time is immaterial as will appear. The drawer will then be inserted part way into the structure 22. In the event the finger 16 was not positioned as seen in FIG- URE 4, insertion of the drawer will cause such finger to strike the exterior of the structure portion 23 and the finger will be rotated thereby in a clockwise direction sufliciently to allow it to pass beneath such portion 23.

With the drawer partially inserted in the structure 22, it is only necessary to reach into the open drawer and to rotate the finger 16 in a counter-clockwise direction to the position seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 and in full lines in FIGURE 1 wherein the device will function to once again prevent unintentional drawer withdrawal as previously described.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have accomplished at least the principal object of my invention and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has adavntages not herein specifically described; hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiment is illustrative only, and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. A device for installation on a'drawer to prevent unintentional withdrawal thereof, comprising a body providing spaced legs for disposition on oppoiste sides of a drawer back, one of said legs being disposed inside said drawer in abutment with said drawer back and the other being disposed outside the drawer and spaced from the drawer back, said legs being connected together by a bridge which overlies the drawer back and said other leg being doubled over on itself to provide a portion resiliently biased toward said one leg to yieldably grip the drawer back therebetween, and a finger carried by said body and normally projecting above the top of the drawer back for engagement with a portion of the structure in which the drawer is slidable to prevent drawer withdrawal, said finger being .shiftable downwardly from said normal poistion for disenagement from the structure portion aforesaid to provide for drawer withdrawaL' 2. The construction of claim 1 wherein the upper ends of said legs are connected together by said bridge and Ivherein said finger is carried by the lower end of said one 3. The construction of claim 2 wherein the lower end of said one leg provides a loop and wherein said finger has a portion rotatably fitting within said loop.

4. A device for installation on a drawer to prevent unintentional withdrawal thereof, comprising an elongated strip of resilient material formed to provide a body having spaced legs for disposition on opposite sides of a drawer back, one of said legs being disposed inside said drawer in abutment with said drawer back and the other being disposed outside the drawer and spaced from the drawer back, said legs being connected together by an integral bridge which overlies the drawer back and said other leg being doubled over on itself to provide a portion resiliently biased toward said one leg to yieldably grip the drawer back therebetween, and a finger carried by said body and normally projecting above the top of the drawer back for engagement with a portion of the structure in which the drawer is slidable to prevent drawer withdrawal, said finger being shiftable downwardly from said normal position about an axis generally parallel to the plane of the drawer back for disengagement from the structure portion aforesaid to provide for drawer withdrawal.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,391,896 9/21 Hiserodt 16-82 FOREIGN PATENTS 393,435 4/24 Germany.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR INSTALLATION ON A DRAWER TO PREVENT UNINTENTIONAL WITHDRAWAL THEREOF, COMPRISING A BODY PROVIDING SPACED LEGS FOR DEPOSITION ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A DRAWER BACK, ONE OF SAID LEGS BEING DISPOSED INSIDE SAID DRAWER IN ABUTMENT WITH SAID DRAWER BACK AND THE OTHER BEING DISPOSED OUTSIDE THE DRAWER AND SPACED FROM THE DRAWER BACK, SAID LEGS BEING CONNECTED TOGETHER BY A BRIDGE WHICH OVERLIES THE DRAWER BACK AND SAID OTHER LEG BEING DOUBLED OVER ON ITSELF TO PROVIDE A PORTION RESILIENTLY BIASED TOWARD SAID ONE LEG TO YIELDABLY GRIP THE DRAWER BACK THEREBETWEEN, AND A FINGER CARRIED BY SAID BODY AND NORMALLY PROJECTING ABOVE THE TOP OF THE DRAWER BACK FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A PORTION OF THE STRUCTURE IN WHICH THE DRAWER IS SLIDABLE TO PREVENT DRAWER WITHDRAWAL, SAID FINGER BEING 